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A new smart phone app released Thursday aims to help parents track child predators. This app is the first of its kind to be used by a law enforcement agency.

'Operation Predator,' developed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), allows the public to submit anonymous tips of child abuse or exploitation straight from their phone and view photos and information about current predators.

"Crimes that are committed against our children are some of the most important, highest priorities for us to identify," HSI Special Agent Daren Boyd said. "The sooner we can find these people and identify them the sooner we can take them out of the public and keep the public safe."

Boyd said it cost less than $100 to develop and put in the app store. A small price that he hopes will have a big payoff.

"Technology over the last few years has exploded especially with smart phones," Boyd said. "People are using their smart phones for more and more things and the apps out there are numerous. This just takes advantage of that growing trend. The hope would be that someone would be interested in downloading this application and use this application to report what they've seen, to not stay silent about it and be willing to come forward.

Just a few clicks can help put the power in your hands.

"People I guess recognize more than they're aware of," Boise resident Michael Allen said. "For me it would be cool I guess you'd feel like you were a little private investigator or that you were a part of something bigger."

Allen and others we talked with say, if there is even a chance they can help, they will download the app.

"I think anything we can do to make our city and society safer, and to protect the lives of people who can't necessarily stand for themselves is important," Boise resident Janet Weybright said.

"I don't have kids but I don't want kids to be in harms way and if I can do anything to help that I think that's pretty cool," Allen said.

The application is free to download in the app store, but is currently only available for the iPhone and Apple products. The software is currently being developed for Android platforms.